The Kroleski Family Living Small

Snack time for Hunter. A second hand Stokke high chair and small table at the wall allow for a dedicated eating space.

Bedrooms: Studio
Property: Rental
Square Feet: Approximately 400
Adults: 2
Children: 2

I met Suzanne and her two young sons Hunter and Theoden in their studio apartment just a week before they moved out. Among the boxes and bustle of packing, the bones of family life in the apartment remained. The hand-built loft bed suspended above the living space, the closet home to Hunter’s crib and rocking horse, baby Theoden’s bassinet, and a stack of surfboards (yes, full-sized surfboards).

Packing boxes signal the end of the Kroleski's memorable time as a family in their 400 sq ft studio apartment.

We chatted about family life in the apartment; the logistics of it all. Negotiating naptimes for two under two was a particular point of amazement and awe, not without its war stories. Mostly Suzanne wanted other families contemplating staying in studios to know that it can be done. Mom Suzanne, dad Greg, and sons Hunter and Theoden, successfully lived together in what is essentially one room - a studio apartment in San Francisco’s Western Addition. Here’s how they did it.

Suzanne moved in with Greg and his ten or so surfboards after getting married in 2012. When their first son, Hunter, arrived couple of years later, they decided to stay put. Though not without reservations about welcoming another human into the space, “I was definitely apprehensive. How would we/he sleep? Where would he sleep?” said Suzanne.

The beautiful Cariboo basinett, flanked by Greg's surfboards. // Photograph courtesy of Greg Kroleski.

For the first six months, Hunter slept in a bassinet. Once he outgrew that, they swapped their sofa for a smaller model and moved Hunter into a crib. A relatively simple and satisfactory arrangement for all. Still impressive mind you, given that once Hunter was asleep for the night or nap time, there was no ‘other room’ for the couple to abscond to, bar a tiny galley kitchen that snakes off the living room. Nevertheless, Suzanne was pleasantly surprised as to how much they could do, around a sleeping babe, “I’ve also been surprised at how sound of sleepers babies are particularly in the evening. After they go to bed, we can cook, talk quietly, and even watch a show without waking them.”

A new and considerably more ample challenge presented with the Kroleski’s second son’s arrival. Fitting two babies (Hunter was 14 months old when Theoden was born) into a space designed for a bachelor required a little more thought, resourcefulness and creativity. They could have moved, but their plans were complicated, and San Francisco rental prices are no joke, “we kept saying, 'we hope to move soon, but things are going well right now',” said Suzanne.

Suzanne and Greg's loft bed was hand built to their needs and specifications. The bookcase acts as stairs. 

To prepare for Theoden’s arrival, Suzanne and Greg set to making some big changes in the space. With nowhere to go but up, they decided to head skyward. Greg built a loft bed, so that the master bed could be hoisted above the sofa and completely open up the space. “He learned as he went,” said Suzanne. They did their research online to assess what would work best for their needs, “we spent time searching the internet for photos of different types of lofts and ladders/staircases,” Suzanne added. Once the couple had an idea of what they wanted, Greg drew plans, measured, bought and cut the wood. He constructed their loft bed both in and outside their apartment - making use of the roomy sidewalks outside their building and San Francisco’s dry weather to work outside as much as possible. The finished product was a sturdy wooden loft, with a corresponding staircase that also functions as a bookshelf. Greg’s handywork worked remarkably well and freed up the bottom floor to be a living room for the family.

To create a dedicated sleeping space for the then one-year-old, Hunter. They cleared out the closet and converted this into a nursery. Neatly fitting Hunter’s crib, changing table, rocking horse, clothing and other stored items. As for Theoden, like his big brother before him, a bassinet was placed in the living room to serve as his cozy bed for the first few months of his life. To further free up the space for two children, Suzanne and Greg also said goodbye to their piano (I assure you this is not a typo), and culled and sorted some more of their belongings.

Hunter's nursery tucks neatly away into the closet. Fitting a full-sized crib, changing table, clothing and storage.

Even with the logistics of where everyone sleeps under control, there are of course some question marks over just how that sleep goes down. As mentioned earlier, nap time is a particularly unforgiving beast in the small apartment experience. Though the age gap between Hunter and Theoden is only just over a year, they were at vastly different stages in their development while living in the studio. “How are you supposed to keep a toddler quiet while an infant sleeps?” remarked Suzanne. A difficult enough feat even when you have walls dividing the nappers from the rest of the household.

Theoden surveys the world from his Baby Bjorn bouncer and bay window perch.

Another noise issue presented in the form of balancing early morning work with sleeping babes. To help the boys sleep longer, Greg started taking those early business calls in the car (in the garage downstairs); the Living Small equivalent of a home office.

With an active toddler and a newborn in tow, a yard or outdoor play area would have made life a little easier for Suzanne and Greg. However, they loved their Western Addition location. The proximity to quality local playgrounds and city amenities was invaluable in enabling them to enjoy their neighbourhood as an easy extension of their small abode, “I love that everything is within walking distance - the grocery store, our favorite burrito place, several fantastic parks, the pool, two libraries, and our church. It has been a privilege to live in such a beautiful, diverse city.” Suzanne explained.

The studio's quintessential San Francisco street view.

Not only did living in a small space help them to appreciate their surroundings, it also pushed them to look inward. There aren’t too many places to hide from each other when you’re perched on a loft bed above two sleeping kids. “(living here) brought Greg and I closer together, forcing us to realize that we’re on the same team… when you’re in a tight space, you can’t ignore each other, or issues that come up,” said Suzanne.

Though the family were in the process of moving out when I stopped by, it was inspiring to meet and witness even a passing glimpse of their ingenuity and resourcefulness. A fully functioning home for a family of four. In a space with a floor plan the size of a pacifier. Yes it can be done, yes it has been done. “Everything just sort of fell into place. We were very thankful,” said Suzanne.

For more about the lessons learned during family life in a studio, take a look at Greg’s personal blog post about the experience.

Words: Rachel Jamieson
Pictures: Rachel Jamieson and Greg Kroleski

The Clivati Family Living Small

Bedrooms: 1
Property: Rental
Square Feet: Unsure
Adults: 2
Children: 1

It’s an unusually hot day, the sun is beating down on the concrete pavement squares. I’m greeted by Matteo Clivati and his daughter, Anna (16 months), outside of their apartment block. With Anna in his arms, Matteo is eager to get back inside and cool down.

The Clivatis live in a one bedroom apartment in the Marina neighbourhood of San Francisco. For those who aren’t familiar, the Marina is separated from the rest of the city by a steep hill. Situated beside the bay, it looks out towards San Francisco icons like the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz.

Inside the apartment we meet Sarah, Matteo’s wife. Sarah is originally from Texas and works in media, while Matteo is a chef from Milan. They met in 2012 when Sarah took a year off to work in a bed and breakfast in Lake Como where Matteo catered an event. Now three years later, they find themselves married with a 16-month-old and living in another beautiful part of the world. One that just so happens to also be home to some of the world’s most expensive rental property.

Though Sarah and Matteo moved into their one bedroom apartment as a couple, they didn’t hold any particular reservations about welcoming a daughter into the space. Even Sarah, who hails from Texas where they are not exactly famous for doing things on the small, was optimistic. Neighbors in the building had a child, so they knew it could be done (although they moved out on the day that Sarah and Matteo brought Anna home from the hospital). And the couple liked their apartment, and the safe and scenic neighborhood they had come to enjoy, “I never imagined I would live in the Marina - it wasn’t my scene, but we love it,” Sarah adds.

Anna's nursery, in what used to be the closet off the master bedroom.

The apartment may only have one bedroom on paper, but they are not lacking a nursery. It comes in the form of a large walk-in-closet off the master bedroom, “My mom helped decorate - it’s a legit nursery. It makes it feel like we have a 2 bedroom apartment,” says Sarah. The converted nursery now fits Anna’s full size crib, changing table and clothes, with shelf space to store books, toys and other household items.

Down the hall in the bathroom, the family are a little more conscious of space. The proportions of the room are slightly awkward for Anna’s bath-time. Sarah and Matteo solve this by positioning a laundry basket down the accessible end of the bathtub, creating a smaller bath zone to keep Anna from sliding out of reach.

In the kitchen, a clip-on high chair sits Anna at the dining table without adding extra clutter, “not only is it a major space-saver, but Anna eats right at the kitchen table with us,” says Sarah. And when your papà is a chef, what goes on at the dining table is not generally something you want to miss out on. In fact, while I visit Matteo prepares a simple snack for Anna that is presented so beautifully it could be mistaken for a restaurant starter.

Anna's Chicco 360 high chair saves some valuable real estate at meal times.

Whatever space the family miss in the kitchen and bathroom, they make up for elsewhere. The living room is large, the master bedroom is huge, and the apartment certainly doesn’t feel small. What they do lack appears more in the functional elements keep life with a child ticking over, “I wish I had laundry in the house instead of in the garage two floors down. And I wish I had a dishwasher - I waste a lot of time doing dishes,” Sarah says. The couple are also conscious of their proximity to neighbors. Being the only tenants with children in their apartment block now, sound transparency affects them, “either I feel guilty about making too much noise, or I’m annoyed because someone else is throwing a loud party late at night.”

But for these small challenges, Sarah and Matteo are happy here. They even surprised themselves by staying past Anna’s first birthday, “we originally said we would live here for six months - one year max,” said Sarah. Instead they have grown into the space, rather than grown out of it, “we just assumed that having a toddler who can run around would be awful in a one bedroom apartment, but it isn’t bad at all. There is plenty of room for us.”

Words: Rachel Jamieson
Pictures: Rachel Jamieson

The Hewitt Family Living Small

Bedrooms: 1
Property: Rental
Square Feet: Unsure
Adults: 2
Children: 1

If our parents and grandparents generations of babies slept in drawers, this generation sleeps in wardrobes. Lilias is one of many of the San Francisco babies who boasts a cozy little crib where the vacuum used to be. Wardrobe conversions are dotted all over the city. In fact, they are considered something of a luxury in this squeezed rental market, allowing apartments intended for one to moonlight as family homes.

The door to Lilias' sweet little room; what was once the living room closet.

In the Hewitt’s case, the wardrobe nursery is not just convenient and space saving, it’s also adorable. Anna and Oliver teamed practical elements like the smallest model of Ikea crib, drawers and changing pad, along with some sweet personal touches such as ceramic drawer handles, a mobile and a homemade rug - both designed by friends. And they’re happy with the result, “It works really well. Lilias doesn’t need a bigger room at this age, plus we don’t need a baby monitor - we just leave the doors open,” said Anna. Evidently their little urban babe is similarly impressed with her new room, sleeping through the first night she spent there. “For the first two months, Lilias slept in a moses basket at the foot of our bed, but it works much better now she is in her own room,” said Anna.

With Lilias now five and a half months old, the Hewitt’s apartment has not yet been introduced to the wandering destruction of a mobile child. In this stationary phase of babyhood, the play-gym and bouncer are a big deal. In this case, both are light, pleasant to look at, and easy to move between rooms. 

Anna and Oliver have optimized the kitchen in small but significant ways. They introduced a wooden cart to increase storage and bench area. While more of an aesthetic change came from removing the cupboard doors, “to create a feeling of space and display of our jars of food,” said Anna. The couple enjoy spending time in the kitchen; Anna has her own food blog, and Lilias likes to watch from the bouncer as her parents concoct goodies. The sights and smells must have been inspiring as the littlest Hewitt is showing an early interest in food - already eating three solids meals a day in her high chair. 

Across the hall in the bathroom, Anna and Oliver are big fans of their Boon tub. It collapses to become almost flat and hangs on the towel rail. With the baby bath out of the way, they have a little space for a chair that is dear to them. It's crafted from wood selvaged from homes damaged in the Christchurch (New Zealand) earthquake, where Oliver hails from. They also squeeze in the rather more utilitarian item of a bucket to hand wash stains out of bibs and onesies.

The Boon tub collapses flat for storage.

Though the space works brilliantly for the family of three, there have been challenges. Anna and Oliver had some initial reservations regarding the climb up to their apartment “we go out adventuring at least twice a day, so lugging the stroller and a baby up and down the stairs (nine flights) can be tiring,” said Anna. They have made it work with a an umbrella stroller, and their indispensable Becco carrier, “it has also been a lifesaver as it means I can have my hands free to do things like the grocery shopping with her,” Anna added. There is no laundry in the Hewitts' building, so washing must be transported down the stairs and out to the nearest laundromat a couple of times a week.

The good still outweighs the bad for the Hewitts. Their space is light, airy and feels like home, but it's the central location and view over the city that really makes it hard to beat. Walkability is excellent, a seriously important factor when you have a small baby and no car, “we are ten minutes walk from the Panhandle, Alamo Square, Duboce Park and Buena Vista Park, meaning that I can take Lilias on nice walks every day,” said Anna. 

Words: Rachel Jamieson
Pictures: Rachel Jamieson